by Lisa Olsen
“Fair enough. You should get some rest, you’re still supposed to be recovering or Jenessa will have my hide.” Bishop hit the remote for the blinds and the shutters rolled down with a quiet hum.
“I’m fine, but thank you for caring.” I snuggled against his side as he lay back again.
“I do. You know I do, right?” he said into the darkness. He hadn’t said those three little words, but he’d gone above and beyond a simple profession of love when he’d stood up to Jakob for me.
“Yes, I know you do, and I love you too.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
I felt fine the next evening, but Bishop insisted on staying in another night, only leaving my side to go hunt and replenish his stores since I’d only had his blood to drink. I told him he’d spoil me and I wouldn’t want anyone else’s blood but his, but he seemed to take that as a compliment, his smug, masculine smile drawing a roll of the eyes from me.
By the next night I was chomping at the bit to get out for some fresh air, not to mention a fresh set of clothes and some basics like my own toothbrush (there was such a thing as too much togetherness) and Bishop agreed. He’d been neglecting work for too long. We decided he’d take me to the Bleeding Hart for a drink, I’d hang out in public safely for a few hours while he took care of business, then pick me up to collect some of my belongings from home.
It was different being at the bar with Bishop. I’d grown used to all eyes being on me thanks to my recent claim to fame, but I wasn’t used to his attention in public. His arm settled around my waist possessively as soon as we left the car, and didn’t move until we took a seat at his favorite corner table. I didn’t mind the display at all. In fact, it was sorta nice not to have to pretend we were just old friends for once.
Instead of approaching our table, as I was used to, the bar’s other regulars watched us from afar, too intimidated by Bishop to approach I guessed. We enjoyed a drink together, chatting about nothing in particular, until his phone buzzed and Bishop scanned through the message with a scowl.
“Time to go to work,” he declared, tucking it away. “Are you gonna be alright here on your own?”
“I’ll be fine,” I promised. “We talked about this, remember? I’ll stay in public, out of dark alleys, and I won’t accept any drinks from strangers. I’ll be perfectly safe here until you get back.”
“Alright, I’ll be back as quick as I can.” He stood and dropped a quick kiss to my lips.
“Don’t hurry on my account, I’m good hanging here with my peeps,” I replied, hoping to draw a smile from him (which it did). Even better, Bishop leaned down and gave me a much more thorough kiss. “On second thought, hurry back.” I changed my mind with a grin.
“Where’s my kiss?” Jarrod sauntered up and tapped his chin with a flutter of eyelashes.
Bishop’s hand shot out with enough force to send Jarrod flying across the room, all without turning to look at him. “See you later.” He stole one last kiss and left with a satisfied smirk.
“Crikey, he packs quite a wallop, don’t he?” Jarrod groaned, picking himself up slowly and I ran over to help him to his feet.
“I’m so sorry, are you alright? I don’t know why he did that, except…” More than likely it had to do with maintaining his image among the people he policed, not anything against Jarrod himself. “Well, you know Bishop, his sense of humor is…”
“Is not,” Jarrod finished, dusting himself off in good humor. “Just when you think the Order’s found a bit of humanity…” he rubbed his chest where Bishop struck. “Now then, how’s about we get down to a little business?”
“Business?” I blinked. As far as anyone knew I had wealth just like any other vampire my purported age, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I’d love to bend your ear for a tick, yeah?”
“Not without me you don’t,” his brother Leander joined us. “Now then, shall we have a sit like civilized people, or did you want to do this on the dance floor, brother?”
“Oh a dance…” Jarrod seized upon the suggestion eagerly, but I immediately waved that off.
“How about we have that sit? I can’t dance with both of you at the same time,” I suggested, leading the way back to my table before they came up with any ridiculous alternatives. “What did you two want to talk about?” I asked after we were all settled with another round of drinks between us.
“We’ve been thinking about opening another club, y’see,” Leander began, telling me all about their idea. It sounded less techno dancey than their other two nightclubs, but higher class than the Hart. “What do you think?”
“I… think it sounds like a good idea,” I replied hesitantly, still not really sure why they asked me to begin with. Were they looking for an investor?
“Brilliant.” Jarrod’s grin stretched a mile wide and Leander seemed equally pleased. They went on in more detail, soliciting my opinion of the décor and layout, so that I started to wonder if they thought I’d had experience running my own nightclub before coming to San Francisco.
“Good, I’m glad that’s settled then,” Jarrod declared finally, rising from the table with a relieved smile.
“What’s settled?” My stomach clenched, worried I’d just agreed to something without knowing it.
“That we’ll open the club. Don’t worry, we’ll check in with you if there are any major deviations from what we laid out.”
“Um, thanks,” I smiled wanly, resolving to ask Bishop about it later.
“We won’t take up more of your time.” Leander sketched a half bow and his brother followed. It was difficult to get used to my new “status” in the community as the vampire that put down Kursik. If I’d thought my fame would fade in time, it’d obviously take a bit longer.
They weren’t the only two to approach me that night either. It seemed like the moment Bishop left my side I became free game. As soon as Jarrod and Leander left my table, another pair of vamps approached to ask my advice about what tattoo to get next. I didn’t have a single tattoo on my body, so why they thought my input would be helpful was beyond me. I sent them Scotty’s way since I was willing to bet he had quite a few more tattoos that weren’t visible to go with the ones I could see peeking up the side of his neck and arms. After that it was a question about whether or not to buy versus renting a condo, then whether the Order could be approached to police the drugs out of the seedier neighborhoods in town.
When I was asked to help decide a dispute over whether or not someone could claim a certain bar as a hunting territory, I started to lose my patience. What did any of it have to do with me? “Why not run a strip of duct tape down the middle and each of you take half of the place?” I replied flippantly, stealing my solution from Happy Days reruns. To my horror, the vampires in question beamed as though I’d suggested the most brilliant idea.
“Thank you for suggesting that, we’ll try it tonight,” Tanya beamed, bright, frizzy curls bouncing in excitement.
“You’re very wise,” Kathy nodded, equally convinced in the brilliance of my suggestion. What would they have done if I’d suggested torching the place and each finding new stomping grounds?
“No, don’t do that,” I caught them before they ran off to implement the silly plan. “Don’t you think that would draw a bit of attention? The bar doesn’t belong to either of you, does it?”
“Then what should we do?” Kathy’s face fell.
“How is this my problem exactly? Why are you even asking me?”
They blinked at me in confusion, as if I’d asked them why the moon was made of green cheese. “This is your territory, it’s only right we come to you for counsel. Isn’t it?” Tanya added with a whisper. “Did you declare certain nights for counsel only? I’m so sorry, we had no idea…”
Counsel? When did I sign up for that? I began to understand the reason Bishop cultivated his scowl. “No, it’s… it’s fine. Listen, why don’t you take turns then if you both prefer that hunting ground? You can take even d
ays and you can take odd ones. Problem solved.”
Tanya’s smile returned twofold. “Of course, it’s so simple!”
“If it was a snake it would have bitten us,” Kathy giggled.
“Okay then, good luck to you,” I waved them away, signaling Scotty for another drink before the next round of petitioners approached.
The next person who approached was someone I didn’t recognize. Okay, so that’s not entirely true. I recognized her bodyguards as two of Kursik’s men, but the petite brunette in the four inch heels I felt fairly certain I’d never met before. It could only mean one thing.
“It’s Antonina, right?” I spoke first, hoping to surprise her and it did, her chocolate brown eyes widening slightly.
“You know me?” Her voice bore little trace of an accent, but she had a vaguely Russian look about her, and I figured Kursik had found her in his homeland.
“I have friends who keep me informed on the comings and goings in my territory.” Heck, why not play the image to the hilt? All that time spent dispensing advice had to come to good use for something, right?
“I don’t intend to infringe upon your territory long, Kursik’s business is taking longer than I’d thought to wrap up,” she replied hurriedly, a touch of worry there. Not quite the response I’d expected from someone out to kill me and my loved ones.
“Is there a problem here?” Rob appeared at my side and I have to admit, I felt a lot safer with him there.
“That all depends on Nina here,” I replied, doing my level best to stare her down the same way my sister had when trying to get me to admit to “borrowing” her lucky socks.
The bodyguards’ hands went to the guns tucked under their shoulders in another precise example of synchronized movement they’d perfected under Kursik’s rule. Before Rob could so much as twitch, Nina let loose a string of Russian in a decidedly scolding tone of voice and they dropped their hands a little uncertainly.
“I apologize, I don’t mean to step on any toes,” Nina said meekly, dropping her gaze. This was the volatile progeny Bishop had been so worried about? She looked scared to death I might grow another head and bite her.
“It’s fine,” I replied. “But to avoid any accidents, how about you send your men to the bar for a drink?” Nina nodded, and her men retreated to the bar but ignored Scotty’s pitch, watching us warily. “Rob, you can go too, I’ll be fine.”
“Fine or not, I’m not leaving your side,” he replied stubbornly, taking a seat beside me, his eyes never leaving Nina for a second.
“How about you start with telling me about the people you’ve killed in my territory and ending up with trying to kill me?”
“Kill you? Bozji… I swear, I would never…”
“Why is it I don’t believe you?” Rob leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers and Nina squirmed uncomfortably.
“No, I have no reason to come after you. To do so would be to risk my own death. Why would I do such a thing?”
She sounded pretty convincing, but if I was her, it’d be my first line of defense too. “Let me think… how about because you’re angry about me killing your Sire?”
“Angry with you for killing Aleksandr?” she gasped. “I came here tonight to thank you for freeing me from him.”
It was my turn to gasp in surprise. “You did?”
“Yes, what you did set me free of his influence and I am eternally in your debt.” Her eyes dropped and she executed a respectful curtsey. “I now have the means to do what I please and his holdings are mine, unless… unless you wish to lay claim to them.”
“To his holdings? No,” I shook my head, waving her into a seat at the table. I wouldn’t have the slightest idea what to do with them, and it hardly seemed fair to take credit for something I hadn’t done in the first place. “You go right ahead. But um, just between us girls,” I leaned closer. “You’re really not mad at all about Kursik dying?”
“I assume you knew him… intimately, or you wouldn’t have killed him,” Nina replied, her eyes haunted. “I would have killed him years ago myself if I’d had the strength.”
So, Kursik was a pig with all women, not just me. “Then I’m glad you’re finally rid of him,” I smiled. “A word of advice though, the Order thinks you’re behind some attacks on me for retaliation, so the sooner you wrap up your business and head out of town, the better.” I figured she could use the heads up, and if she was lying through her teeth, at least she’d know it was only a matter of time before Bishop got to her.
“I’ll say goodbye then and thank you.” Nina inclined her head, rising to her feet with fluid grace. “I’m sorry if I caused you any distress.”
“Goodbye, Nina. Maybe we’ll meet again someday under less tense times and we can talk a bit more.” She didn’t seem that bad to me, more rational than the picture Mason painted of her.
“I hope so,” she smiled, nodding to her bodyguards who appeared to flank her with perfect precision as she left the club.
“I’ll go make sure she keeps on stepping,” Rob muttered, going after them. He returned scant minutes later, apparently satisfied with her retreat. “You alright?” he asked as he sat beside me again, signaling for another beer.
“Yes, I’m fine. It wasn’t her, there wasn’t any danger.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t know that, did you?” he pointed out. “I didn’t mean just about tonight, are you alright?” Rob stressed, his intense gaze making me think he had a line on my inner thoughts for a moment. Then again, why would he ask me if he could read minds?
“I told you, I’m fine. Why, what have you heard?”
“Word is you had yourself quite a scare.”
“Where did you hear that?” Did everyone know about the attempt on my life?
“Around,” he shrugged. “You yourself said there have been attacks.”
“Yes, but I’m fine, thanks to Bishop.”
Bishop.
I sighed an entirely different kind of sigh every time I thought of him now.
“I see that’s back on again.” Rob took a long pull on his beer. “He makes you happy, yeah?”
“He does,” I beamed as only a girl in love can do and not look incredibly goofy. “He really does.”
“Well, that’s alright then, isn’t it?” he nodded once.
“I’m glad you approve,” I smiled, taking a sip of my neglected drink, not particularly minding how watery it tasted.
“It’s not for me to approve of, but I’m glad you’re happy all the same. Have you been to see Bridget yet? She was a bit out of sorts when she came home to find you gone.”
Cripes, I’d forgotten to call Bridget to explain the bloody sofa! How could I have forgotten to call my best friend? “I’ve got to get home and talk to her. Is she home tonight?”
“Don’t know. You fancy a ride?”
“Thanks, I’d love one.” I knew I was supposed to stay put, but I had to start packing up my things anyway and with an escort I’d be as safe as houses. “Is she really ticked off?”
“She’s a bit agro about the sofa, yeah.”
“I don’t suppose you know a place that deep cleans bloodstains out of furniture, do you?” I asked as we stepped out into the night air.
“How do you mean?”
“The couch. It’s all ruined, right?”
“It’s gone is what it is. The Order came round and nicked it, nice as you please.”
“They took it? What else did they take?” I recalled Bishop saying something about contagion and quarantine before they realized what caused my symptoms, my guess was the couch had long gone the way of an incinerator.
“Nothing so’s you’d notice. Did make a mess of the floors though, they’ll have to be refinished I reckon.”
“Oh God, no wonder she’s pissed!” I fretted over what I’d say to her on the drive over. You never knew what side of Bridget you’d get during an argument. Usually she’d yell obscenities when she thought she’d been wronged, but every once in a while you got a
glimpse of the hurt little girl inside… right before she hurled obscenities at you. I wasn’t sure what to expect as we walked into the apartment.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Oh, so you do remember where you live,” Bridget smirked the moment she saw me, turning her back on us to pour a glass of orange juice from the fridge. “And here I thought you were tied up in someone’s basement, conked on the head with amnesia while he rubbed lotion on your feet.”
“What?” Thrown off for a moment by that visual (inserting Jakob into the role of foot lotioner, of course), I shook off the image to get back to my intended apology. “Listen, about the couch…”
“Yeah, about the couch… it’s cool with me if you’re moving out, but if you’re gonna steal my stuff, can you start with something smaller like my boots?”
“I’m sorry, I had no idea they would take the couch. It was kinda ruined though, so that’s probably for the best. I swear I’ll pay for a new one and the damage to the floor too.” And that would eat up the biggest chunk of the money I had left of Jakob’s gift.
“Relax, it’s not like I’m getting my cleaning deposit back anyways,” she snorted. “What happened to you?”
“Wouldn’t mind hearing the full version of that myself.” Rob straddled a backwards chair and looked at me expectantly.
I took a seat, going over what happened with Evan and the Order stepping in to eliminate any danger of contagion. I glossed over the parts about me and Bishop, wanting to keep that private, and Jakob’s agreeing to let me make my own choices. Thankfully, the string of obscenities never came, and Bridget did seem genuinely worried about my safety when I’d disappeared without a trace. Rob remained quiet, but that wasn’t unusual for him.
“So, I’m moving in with Bishop and that should keep you free and clear of any of my vampire shenanigans from here out.”
“Wow, you’re going all in, huh?” Bridget nodded with approval. “I’m happy for you, kid. I guess this is the end of things for us though.”
